


Enough

by JosephineStone



Category: A Separate Peace - John Knowles
Genre: Community: gameofcards, Drabble, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-26
Updated: 2016-01-26
Packaged: 2018-05-16 11:54:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 681
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5827624
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JosephineStone/pseuds/JosephineStone
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt Used: Snowball Fight & "The heart can get really cold when all you've know is winter." - Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Last Night I Sang to the Monster</p><p>An AU scene of the one where they have a snowball fight after Gene gets back from his visit with Leper.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Enough

It was easy to forget that Finny's leg was wrapped in a cast and how it got that way in moments like that. The new walking cast made his movement more natural and when Gene didn't look his way it was easy to forget it all. It was pure instinct that had Gene run toward him after the first snowball hit the back of Gene's head.

The traitor had switched sides in the middle of the fight!

Gene stopped short as he remembered and bent to grab snow instead of shoving Finny backwards into it. Gene saw a brief look of disappointment cross Finny's face before Gene didn't hold back with his throw. Finny didn't like people feeling sorry for him. And though he had confessed to Gene that he was alright when it was him who saw Finny's weaker moments, he still didn't like Gene's pity any more than anyone else's.

Gene wished it were summer again and not just because he hated winter. If it were summer again he'd knock into Finny as the other ran ahead and everything would be like it was before.

Before he'd gone to see Leper losing his mind before Finny broke his leg and lost his spirit before they'd ever gone near that damned tree.

Finny watched Gene's sullen mood and when they headed back in instead of asking how Leper was again, he asked, "Your 'best friend', huh?"

It took Gene a moment to remember that Leper had signed his letter to him that way.

"I don't know why he said that," Gene said. "You're my best friend. Everyone knows that. I'm not even that close to Leper. It's just he really doesn't have anyone else, does he?"

They were quiet until they made it back to their room. Gene tried to study but kept looking back at Finny who was lost in his thoughts. Unable to concentrate, Gene closed his book and broke the silence.

"How have you suffered?" 

When Finny had yelled it at them all earlier that winter all Gene could think about was his own betrayal, but he'd been certain that Finny didn't know or wouldn't let himself know.

That he'd meant anything other than his leg had not crossed Gene's mind until Finny asked about Leper. No, they weren't best friends. Gene wasn't sneaking around keeping Finny in the dark about another closer relationship than their own, but that the idea bothered Finny made Gene question their relationship, again.

"You wouldn't understand."

"Then help me!" Gene came closer as Finny sat more upright but looked away from him.

"It's all this war—"

"No," Gene cut him off. "We're all part of this war."

"I'm not."

"Finny, you don't want to go to war—" Gene thought of Leper and how he'd never made it that far. "No one wants to."

"You're going."

"It's unlikely that I'd have another choice. What happened to you? How can you not see that this saves you?"

"No one wants to be left behind, either." Finny still wouldn't look at him.

"Left behind?" Before Gene could ask what he was talking about, Finny seemed to have made a decision and turned to make space on his cot for Gene to sit next to him. He looked up at Gene staring down at him, but neither of them moved.

"Can't you see how this all ties together?"

"I never can." Gene shook his head. "You've always been quite the mystery and talk in circles. Just explain it to me."

"You're winter, Gene," Finny said, clearly unable to just say what he meant.

Gene didn't say anything. Phineas had always been summer to Gene. A bright spot in an otherwise colorless world that always shone. 

"What does that even mean?" Gene asked.

Finny shook his head and moved to lie down, but Gene finally took the spot next to him stopping him.

"I'm tired of not knowing where I stand with you."

"You're tired of not knowing?" Finny's green eyes were wide and suddenly he was smiling, again, and then Gene remembered:

"You love winter."


End file.
